Tour Championship LIVE – Trump in quarter-final action against Williams

Mark Williams holding a 5-3 lead over Judd Trump heading for home this evening. First man to 10 frames will book a spot in Saturday’s semi-final. Enjoy this remarkable 66 break from Williams in the final frame of his 10-9 victory over Tom Ford in the first round. Saying it is a bit special doesn’t do it justice.

Gary Wilson claimed the final three frames from 8-7 behind to dump Zhang Anda and secure a semi-final with snooker GOAT Ronnie O’Sullivan on Friday. Closing breaks of 94, 85 and 50 were good enough for the Scottish Open champion to advance against the International champion after they resumed at 4-4.

Join us again this evening at 6.30pm BST for the end of Trump 3-5 Williams and Ding 5-3 Allen.

Zhang Anda 8-10 Gary Wilson

A curious session – Judd could’ve, maybe should’ve won all the frames he lost, but Mark has looked the more assured player and earned his lead – it might’ve been even bigger. Most importantly, though, it’s been another intense, exciting match and I’ve not a clue what’s going to happen tonight on the resumption.

Mark does not get his three snookers.

Oooh yeah! Judd sends a black spinning to the green bag, but he misses the black so Mark keeps playing, chasing three snookers.

Snookered by the yellow, Mark misses twice meaning he need all the remaining reds, with blacks, and the colours, to force a re-spot.

Judd knows a red leaves Mark needing a snooker, and also that it’ll take a miracle clearance to stop him winning this frame. But he can’t get the ball he needs, he then moves the black and leaves a red, the table suddenly looking tastier – despite two reds on the right rail, near left corner. This is another it’d sicken Judd to lose.

Mark sinks a red, making others pottable in the process then, rather than take on a pot, he develops the black.Of the four remaining reds, one is on black cush and two are close, also close together.

Judd takes a red and knocks the black towards the side – there are 67 points left.

Judd’s been really patient here – he’s gone up a level since the interval – and he despatches an awkward red into right corner. But then he misses a blue to the middle – a shot that way easier than others he’s sunk in this break – by far, and we’re back playing safety, Mark J still well in the frame.

Judd slides to left corner and adds the brown, pokes down black bridging awkwardly, and cuts back the next ball. He’ll go into the pack off the blue – and with the pink out of the road, he’s got a big target – but his next pot, with the rest will be fiddly. Nevertheless he sinks it nicely, sends blue to the green, and he is now in prime position.

Very quickly, we’re tapping about, and the players agree a re-rack.

Zhang Anda 5-7 Gary Wilson

A run of 81 and Judd will feel much, much better – though he still trails by two.

Judd forces himself to pot his way out of trouble, as is his wont – there’s no one better at that – and he looks more like his old self as he races through this break. It feels like he’s taking less time over his shots and generally enjoying being out there more than before.

Judd smokes a starter into the corner but lands on nowt, playing safe off the green, but he gets another go, ramming in another, and a friendly kiss off the blue allows him to stay at the business end.

Zhang Anda 5-6 Gary Wilson

You bet he can! Single-ball pressure-pots, there’s no one better, and the 4-1 lead reflects his superiority to this point.

But then he leaves the yellow and Mark sends it down, the green too; if he can steer brown into yellow, the frame will likely be his… and it’s there! The blue follows, and Judd will feel he’s surrendered another. But can TWPM cut-back the black he needs…?

Eesh, Judd makes a mess of a red to left corner, but allowed back in, he gently cannons the penultimate red off black cush and sees it away. But he attempted double on the final ball stays out; no matter, Mark leaves him a cut across the table and into the green bag. Except in cutting it down fast, as he knew he had to, he goes in-off into the opposite middle … but otherwise he gets away with it because his opponent can’t slide yellow into centre.

Mark, though, is a snooker genius and crafts a lead, but not much more, then Judd gets in again, and if he can just nick this one, he’ll feel like one behind after five is a very generous interpretation of how this match has gone so far. He soon runs out of position, though, so this looks like being another protracted frame.

NO WAY! Judd misses a sitter of a black off its spot – this is not at all good from him – but there’s not loads for Mark to go at.

Foul-miss from Mark and though Judd misses a starter – to his disgust – he soon gets another go though when Mark does likewise, quickly building a lead.

Zhang Anda 5-5 Gary Wilson

Mark gets a double-kiss needing a snooker and concedes. Judd’s on the board and he really needed that. The players go off for the interval; we’ll be back in 15.

Mark jams one in the jaws of left corner so Judd tidies it … but leaves himself a disgusting blue, having to force it right-centre from very close by; he plays it beautifully but after what’s happened to him this afternoon, he’ll want to do plenty to make the frame safe.

There’s a red next to the black on the top rail and another near the side; Judd goes at it righty … and it zips out of the jaws. He just can’t get it going, and now he faces another fight to get on the board.

Mark runs out of position so plays safe then Judd misses to left corner; no problem, he soon snicks in a starter and brushes the pack of the blue, rifling in the next ball and setting up a frame-clinching clearance. Let’s see…

Stephen still can’t believe the shot Judd played on the pink that handed over the foul, but Judd has more pressing concerns no, a gorgeous diagonal starter teased down left corner sending Mark away again.

Zhang Anda 5-4 Gary Wilson

Thinking for Judd to do. He had no business losing that frame, and he keeps at it, he’ll be too far behind to come back.

Goodnes me! Mark nails a double and he’s perfect on the black!

Mark lays a few snookers, Judd escapes … and then misses a thin contact he had no need to play! Both remaining balls and Mark nicks it! What an oversight that was, he could just’ve sent the pink up the table and left the white near the baulk rail.

Of course, the longer format is not only great because it’s great but because it gets us in the mood for the Cruce, and both these men will fancy winning it. Judd’s often been beaten by cannier players over the stretch, but he’s improved a lot in that aspect and if he’s on, he’s a great chance. But he can’t flick the final red into potting position – “quite an easy shot,” says Stephen – and a cannon on the blue knocks it safe. But look at that! Mark strokes a delectable red into the yellow bag – wow! – and if he can get on the blue it’ll be 3-0. And he does … but in the process he misses the brown. How often do we see that?! So Judd, only needing one more ball, responds with a snooker, Mark misses with his escape, and he’ll be relieved even though we play on.

This game! Just as Stpehen’s extolling him, he botches a black off its spot and already, this feels like a significant visit for Judd.

I said earlier Judd wasn’t unfazed and he tries a double, getting nowhere near and leaving Mark a starter to left corner. There are plenty of reds to sustain him, and he moves about the table the white under his spell.

Zhang Anda 5-4 Gary Wilson

Scrappy ones or one-visiters, Mark J isn’t bothered. An 81 and he’s two in front.

Liberating a few more reds, Mark now looks good for the frame, a total artist. He nudges balls free, pots them, and Judd will have to play well to beat him – and even then he might not.

Mark cracks a starter into left corner amd he’s away, picking at loose reds as he does.

Zhang Anda 4-4 Gary Wilson

Judd tries to look nonplussed but you can tell that revolted him.

Judd gets close to sinking pink in left-middle – he ought to have put this out of its misery tiiiime ago – and then he goes in-off! Mark needs only the pink, and it’s over the yellow bag!

Look at that! Mark drains brown and promotes blue, but binning it and getting on the pink won’t be easy … but he tries a double … and misses. Judd, though, botches a pot he shouldn’t to end the frame – pressure, already – and the chase is on. The standard hasn’t been the highest, but if this frame is anything to go by, we’re in for a treat today.

Look at that! From close by but diagonally above, Mark careeses the penultimate red from behind and sends it along black cush to right corner, then makes his way over to the last and drains oit. By the looks of things, this frame will be decided by the blue stuck on the side rail.

Narrowing the gap, Mark leaves himself a minging cut-back from on black cush and doesn’t get close, then twice foul-misses; when he hits, Judd makes sure to remove the next red, spanks in a green – that’s some remarkable cue-power – only to land behind the green, forced to play safe.

Losing ideal position, Judd has to take on a green with the rest, sunk nae bother, but he lands on the side of the yellow so that’s probably end of break. Except, with no safety on, he has no choice but to try a tight pot to left corner … and he misses by miles, leaving one that Mark strokes to left-centre. Stealing frames this this one is something out of which he’s a made a career.

Starter to Judd and though it’s not an easy table, he shouldn’t run out of position when he does and, perhaps distracted, he leaves a starter … but because Mark misses it, it works out well for him and he gets on to the black, replaced just below the pink, and things looks a little easier now.

Pre-match, Mark said he’ll definitely be playing next term but this might be his last ITV tournament; if he wins here he qualifies for the Champion of Champions, so we’ll see. In comms, Stephen says Mark is perhaps the smartest snooker player we’ve ever seen, who plays shots he doesn’t see and absolutely has the best temperament in the history of our sport; he texted him after his ludicrous dish and TWPM repsonded saying he wasn’t sure where it’d come from, he was dead on his feet. Anyway, it’s a tactical start to the match.

Judd Trump v Mark J Williams, best of 19; ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

Welcome to live coverage from the Tour Championship as focus shifts to the quarter-finals.

Judd Trump returns to action to face Mark Williams, with a place in the semi-finals up for grabs.

Play gets underway in Manchester at 1pm and we will have live text coverage right here.